Original Article <SNIP> Valley news briefs Oct. 8, 2004 12:00 AM Ex-Mesa police officer gets probation in fraud PHOENIX - A retired Mesa police lieutenant was sentenced to probation for charges stemming from a 1990 insurance fraud. Randall Lineberger filed a false burglary report and collected more than $13,000 in insurance reimbursement for items reportedly taken from his home. In 2003, his estranged wife told Chandler police that many of the items were still in their possession. Lineberger, 42, was charged on five counts, including fraudulent schemes, fraudulent insurance claims, theft and false reporting. He pleaded guilty to theft, an undesignated felony, meaning that it will be reclassified a misdemeanor if he meets the terms of his probation. Superior Court Judge Michael Wilkinson sentenced him to 18 months' probation and 50 hours of community service. Original Article Ex-officer sentenced to 18 months probation in theft case Associated Press Oct. 7, 2004 11:55 AM A former Mesa police lieutenant was sentenced Thursday to 1 1/2 years on probation in a theft case. Randy Lineberger, 42, also must complete 50 hours of community service under the sentence in Maricopa County Superior Court. Lineberger pleaded guilty last month to a theft charge, admitting he filed a false insurance claim. advertisement He has said previously he filed an insurance claim in April 1990 when his home was burglarized. Later, he realized some of the items had not been stolen, but he kept the insurance money. He admitted taking between $250 and $500, though police reports indicate more than $13,000 in property had been reported stolen. Police began to investigate him after his now ex-wife reported he had filed false burglary and insurance claims. The 19-year police veteran retired in August. Staff reports Original Article Ex-cop cries foul in theft case By Gary Grado, Tribune A retired Mesa police lieutenant who was sentenced Thursday to probation and community service for a theft conviction said he was treated unfairly by the justice system. Randall Lineberger, 42, said his ex-wife should have been prosecuted too and a Chandler detective who investigated the case of alleged insurance fraud went about it wrong by trying to prove his guilt rather than objectively gathering the facts. Lineberger, who retired Aug. 31 after 19 years with the Mesa Police Department, pleaded guilty Sept. 7 to one count of theft, admitting that he did not return proceeds for items listed on an insurance claim that he knew had not been taken during a burglary of his Chandler home in 1990. Lineberger said they were items Joanne Lineberger-Bohm had put on the claim and when he discovered after the burglary they werent stolen, the couple had a huge fight. "Its gut-wrenching when you have to sit there and hear just complete lies like that," Lineberger-Bohm said. She told Chandler detectives Lineberger staged the burglary and submitted the false $13,000 claim so he could pay off judgments against him in a previous divorce, police reports state. Lineberger admitted to keeping $250 to $500 that wasnt his. As for his admitted wrongdoing, Lineberger said he was trying to cover for the misdeeds of his then-wife, who was pregnant when the alleged fraud took place in 1990. "I didnt have my police hat on at that moment," he said. "I did it for my family." Lineberger said in a letter to Judge Michael Wilkinson that his ex-wife has been trying to retaliate for his refusal to give in to her demands in their divorce. He said he suspects detectives believed his ex-wife from the beginning and they didnt follow up on information he provided them on her misconduct. Chandler police spokesman George Arias said the department stands by its investigation, saying it was good enough for prosecutors to proceed in bringing criminal charges. Contact Gary Grado by email, or phone (602) 258-1746 Original Article Mesa News Retired Mesa lieutenant Retired Mesa lieutenant By Gary Grado, Tribune October 7, 2004 A judge today sentenced a retired Mesa police lieutenant to 18 months probation and 50 hours of community service for a theft conviction. Randy Lineberger's attorney argued in Maricopa County Superior Court that his client had been treated more harshly than other first-time offenders and that he had already paid enough in lost income from having retired early. Judge Michael Wilkinson said Lineberger had been treated the way he was because he should have known better. "You kept money you know you weren't entitled to," Wilkinson said. Lineberger admitted keeping insurance proceeds for items he originally believed had been stolen, but later discovered hadn't been, after a 1990 burglary of his Chandler home. Lineberger retired Aug. 31 after 19 years with the Mesa Police Department. He had worked at other police departments before joining Mesa. Contact Gary Grado by email, or phone (602) 258-1746